Priceless Betrayal by Victoria Tait

Title: Priceless Betrayal (A Dotty Sayers Antique Mystery #6)

Published on: 24 March 2023

Genre: Cozy Mystery

Priceless Betrayal is the sixth book in Victoria Tait’s Dotty Sayers Antique Mystery series.

Trainee Antique expert Dotty Sayers knows she’s in trouble when a dead body disappears. A painting that Dotty saw next to the body has gone missing too. Dotty is accused of stealing the painting and concocting stories so that she wouldn’t be blamed for the theft.

With no concrete evidence against her, she’s let go. Once again Dotty finds a dead body – it’s the same man she saw at the manor previously. This time, he’s dead for real. Dotty has helped the local police on various occasions but this time, they turn their backs on her. Sergeant Unwin is downright rude to her. Dotty was slowly warming up to him but now, his betrayal is too harsh to bear.

But Aunt Beanie, Constable Ryan, Sergeant Keya Varma and Norman are convinced Dotty is innocent and someone’s trying to frame her. Time’s running out for Dotty and they must solve the mystery before she’s convicted of murder and thefts.

Things ended on a high note in Antique Tragedy and I wondered what’s next for Dotty. She’s at the airport with David Ross and Tariq (antique expert and buyer resp. ) when they are arrested. A stolen Chapan Robe was found in Dotty’s suitcase. This is the second time a stolen item is found in Dotty’s suitcase and the police wonder if she’s truly innocent.

She’s let go but once again she finds herself in the midst of a theft case. She calls the police saying she saw a dead body but when they arrive, there’s no body. A painting is stolen and the only one at the scene was Dotty. She’s taken in for questioning. It becomes very clear to Dotty that Sergeant Unwin doesn’t believe in her innocence. In fact, as the story proceeds, he gets carried away with wanting Dotty to be the culprit.

I felt bad for Dotty because at the time of crisis, she realized not everybody is her friend; especially Sergeant Unwin. Dotty was being framed but by whom? And why? At the same time, we have some of Dotty friends – Keya and Ryan, along with Aunt Beanie and Norman, wanting to save Dotty from being accused of crimes she didn’t commit.

I have followed Victoria’s writing career from the start and Priceless Betrayal is the best one yet. I have loved all her books, but if I have to pick a best of the best, I would pick Priceless Betrayal.

Excellent storytelling. Unexpected twists and turns. In a way, this was a wake up call for Dotty. Things weren’t easy for her and she felt safe working at Akemans. But with recent development, she’s not sure if it was a right choice.

I enjoyed reading every bit of this book. I loved the ending. Identity of the perp and their accomplices were shocking – some of these characters made an appearance in previous installments. This was a clear cut case of wolf in sheep’s clothing.

I highly recommend Dotty Sayers Antique Mystery series. I suppose Priceless Betrayal can be read as a standalone but in my opinion, it’s better to start from book #1.